Penguin Elder
The penguin elder is a fierce protecter of arctic lands, by communing with arctic creatures they use them to protect, but the most favored of the penguin elder, is of course, the penguin. Of which they can control vast armies of in battle against nature's offenders. Role: 'The penguin elder is a pet-based class that prefers to attack from a range with cold-based spells, while their penguin companion(s) protect them, and she protects them with magic healing and protection. '''Alignment: '''Neutral '''HD: '''D8 Class Skills The penguin elder's class skills(and their key ability) are: Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (geography, nature, nobility) (Int), Perception (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis) and Swim (Str) '''Skill Ranks Per Level: '''4 + Int modifier. Class Features 'Weapon and Armor Proficiency The Penguin Elder is proficient with all wooden weapons, and light armor as well as shields. (But not Tower Shields) 'Spells' A penguin elder casts divine spells, which are drawn from the penguin elder and druid spell list. Her alignment may restrict her from casting certain spells opposed to her moral or ethical beliefs; see Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells. A penguin elder must choose and prepare her spells in advance. To prepare or cast a spell, the penguin elder must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a penguin elder's spell is 10 + the spell level + the penguin elder's Wisdom modifier. Like other spellcasters, a penguin elder can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Progression. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score (see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells). A penguin elder must spend 1 hour each day in a trance-like meditation on the mysteries of nature to regain her daily allotment of spells. A penguin elder may prepare and cast any spell on the penguin elder spell list, provided that she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose which spells to prepare during her daily meditation. A penguin elder can channel stored spell energy into summoning spells that she hasn't prepared ahead of time. She can “lose” a prepared spell in order to cast any summon nature's ally spell of the same level or lower, but it can only be used to summon either arctic creatures or outsiders of the water subtype. 'Orisons' Penguin Elders can prepare a number of orisons, or 0-level spells, each day, as noted on Table: Progression under “Spells per Day.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again. 'Penguin Companion' A penguin elder begins play with a Penguin companion. This penguin is a loyal companion that accompanies the penguin elder on her adventures. Unlike normal animals of its kind, a penguin companion's Hit Dice, abilities, skills, and feats advance as the penguin elder advances in level. If a character receives an animal companion from more than one source, her effective penguin elder levels are equal to her effective druid levels for the animal companion ability and stack for the purposes of determining the statistics and abilities of the companion. If a panguin elder releases her companion from service, she may gain a new one by performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer in the environment where the new companion typically lives. This ceremony can also replace a penguin companion that has perished. 'Wild Empathy' A penguin elder can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. The penguin elder rolls 1d20 and adds her penguin elder level and her Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly. To use wild empathy, the penguin elder and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time. A penguin elder can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but she takes a –4 penalty on the check. 'Cold Resistance' Starting at 2nd level, the penguin elder gains cold resistance equal to 10 + her penguin elder level. 'Trackless Step' Starting at 3rd level, a penguin elder leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. She may choose to leave a trail if so desired. 'Careful Step' Starting at 4th level, the penguin elder is granted 5 feet to her movement for every point of her wisdom modifier. Also, she instantly notices any concealed pits in natural surroundings. 'Penguin Soldier' At 5th level, the penguin elder's penguin companion has the option of becoming awakened as per the Druid spell "Awaken", except with the following exceptions. Although the penguin companion's mental stats are rolled as indicated, the ritual that awakens the penguin is a special one due to the bond between companion and elder. Should the penguin elder choose this option, the penguins animal Hit Dice may be replaced by hit dice granted by martial classes (martyr, steam cyborg, etc). With this option, however, the penguin companion's class levels cannot be higher than 4 less of the penguin elder's. The Penguin Companion otherwise, still counts as the penguin elder's class ability with exception of not being able to advance like normal animal companions anymore. Should a penguin elder forgo this option and instead choose to continue their penguin companion's progression as a normal animal companion, they may opt to take the first option any time upon levelling up. 'Sea Mastery' You gain a +2 enhancement bonus on Swim skill checks. This bonus increases by +1 for every five penguin elder levels you possess. In addition, you can hold your breath for a number of rounds equal to four times your Constitution score before you must start making checks to avoid drowning. At 10th level, you gain a swim speed equal to your base speed. At 20th level, whenever you make a Swim skill check, assume the roll resulted in a natural 20. 'Augmented Penguin' At 7th level, the Penguin companion becomes large sized. At 14th, he becomes huge and gains additional intelligence equal to the penguin elder's wisdom modifier. 'Bitter Grasp' After 8th level, As a standard action, you can unleash a blast of freezing cold. This blast deals 1d6 points of cold damage + 1 point for every two penguin elder levels you possess to all creatures within 5 feet of you and staggers them for 1 round. A successful Reflex save negates the staggered effect and halves the damage. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 your penguin elder level + your Wisdom modifier. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier. 'Snow Cloak' At 9th level, the penguin elder may conjure a cloak of snow as a standard action that acts as a shield spell. 'Aura of Refreshing Frost' At 10th level, the penguin elder gains an aura of frost which restores 1d8 + the penguin elder's wisdom modifer in hit point damage to all penguins within 15 feet each round. 'Perfect Step' At 11th level, the penguin elder is no longer affected by rough or uneven terrain. 'Penguin Knight' Upon reaching 12th level, the penguin elder's penguin soldier can be 2 levels lower than the penguin elder rather than 4 levels lower. 'Frost Sheathe' At 13th level, all penguins within the penguin elder's aura are granted +1d10 frost damage on their damage rolls with melee and ranged attacks. 'Timeless Body' After attaining 15th level, a penguin elder no longer takes ability score penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties she may have already incurred, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the penguin elder still dies of old age when her time is up. 'Aura of Bitter Cold' At 16th level the penguin elder gains an additional aura of cold that inflicts 1d10 frost damage to any creature within 10 feet of her each turn as long as it is not a penguin. 'Penguin Squadron' Upon reaching 17th level, the penguin elder gains two additional penguin companions, they too can have martial class levels or animal companion advancement, the penguin elder's choice, but they must be four levels lower than the original penguin companion. 'Penguin Adept' At 18th level, the penguin elder may retrain one or more of her penguins to have class levels in a non-martial class if she so chooses, but this must be done at 18th level, at 19th or 20th level it is too late to retrain them. Doing so grants them a +8 bonus to intelligence, wisdom and charisma. 'Crushing Snow' At 19th level, the penguin elder and all penguin companions gain +4 to their caster level on cold-based spells. 'Great Emperor Penguin' Upon reaching 20th level, the penguin elder can, once per day, cause her primary penguin companion to grow to gargantuan size for rounds equal to her wisdom modifer.